Trolley-hook for manipulating self-loading grabs.



"No. 754,652. PATENTBD MAR. 15, 1904. F. K. HOOVER 8: A. J. MASON.TROLLEY HOOK POR- MANIPULATING SELF LOADING GRABS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET l.

NO MODEL.

"(i nomls rams co. ruofou na. WASHINGTON u c.

. I PATEHTED MAR. 15,1904. 1 F. K. HOOVER & A. J. MASON. TROLLEY HOOKFOR MANIPULATING SELF LOADING GRABS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 21, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

no xbnnL.

n4: mums vzrcns w. PNQIO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON Dye.

'1*IO..754,652. PATENTBD MAR. 1'5, 1-904.

.P. K. HOOVER & ALJ. MASON. TROLLEY HOOK FOR MANIPULATING SELF LOADINGGRABS.

APPLICATION .FILED HAY 21,1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H0 MODEL.

'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII" wnryonms PETERS m. Pow-roman" wAsMmomu. u. c.

"No; 754,652. I PATBNTED MAR. 15, 1904.

' F. K. HOOVER & A. J. MASON.

TROLLEY HOOK FOR. MANIPULATING SELF LOADING GRABS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21, 1903. N0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SBIEET 4- No.754,652. PATENTBD MAR. '15, 1904.

I P. K. HOOVER & A. J. MASON.

. TROLIQEY HOOK FOR MANIPULATING SELF. LOADING GRABS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

no noun.

124: News l nzns co, Pnovuumc wnsnmcrou, o c.

. PATENTED MAR.1"5,1904. r. KDHOOVBR & A. J. MASON. TROLLEY HOOK FOB.MANIPULATING SELF LOADING GRABS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1903.

BSHEBTS-SHEBT 6.

\ m: nonms wznzas m4 rumou'ma, WASHINGTON nv c.

No. a m.

UNITED STATES Patented March I5, 1904;

" PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK K. HOOVER AND ARTHUR J. MASON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-

"IROLLEY-HOOK FOR MANIPULATING SELF LO ADING eRABs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,652, dated March15, 1904:

Application filed May 21, 1903. Serial No. 158,100. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern):

Be it known that we, FRANK K. Hoov'ER and ARTHUR J. MASON, bothcitizens'of the'United States, residing at Chicago, in'the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Trolley-Hooks for Manipulating Self-Loading Grabs, ofwhich the following is a specification;

In the handling of iron and other ores, coal, and similar materials, andmore particularly in the transferring of such materials from one placeor situation to anotheras, for instance, in withdrawing them from thehold of a vessel or other carrier and transferring them to stock-pilesor other receptaclesthere are now in use many self-loading grabs orbuckets,

which are generally operated by two lines passing over a trolley orcarrier mounted to travel on' a track or way overhanging the reload andraising the closed grab to the trolley and-the, other operating to openthe grab in subsequently discharging the load and in lowering the grabfor the next load. In manipulating such devices it is of coursenecessary to connect and disconnect the grab relatively to'the trolleyor carrier each time a load is taken up and transferred and the grab isreturned empty for another load. To do this in an expeditious manner,various more or less complicated devices have heretofore been used toeffect an automatic coupling and uncoupling of the grab relatively toits trolley or car-- rier through a manipulation ofthe opening andclosing lines. Y It is the primary object of the present invention toimprove and simplify the mechanism heretofore employed for this purposethrough the provision of a simple hook so constructed and arranged thatwhen the grab is operated by the closing-line it will automatically seatitself securely in the hook, and when the grab is operated by theopening-line and raised sufficiently it will automaticallyand closinglines that those portions of said lines extending between their pointsof tangency on the trolley and grab, respectively, shall diverge orconverge in a plane parallel to or coincident with the plane of thetrolleyhook, the result of which arrangement is that when the weight ofthe grab is borne by the closing-lines the grab swings laterallyslightly to an extent sufficient to carry its hook-engaging member intoa vertical plane in which lies the seat portion of the trolley-hook,while when the weight of the grab is shifted to the opening-lines thegrab swings laterally in the oppositedirection to an extent sufficientto carry its hook-engaging member in the opposite direction'intoavertical plane which lies slightly outside the nose or point of thehook; the shifting of the weight of the grab from the closing to theopening lines, and vice versa, thus providing a slight lateral bodilymovement of the grab, and more particularly of its hook-engaging member,which is usually the central pivot-shaft of the grab, whereby suchhook-engaging member is rendered capable of movement into and out ofengagement with a simple form of hook suspended from the overheadcarrier or trolley.

Our invention will be more readily understood when considered inconnection with apparatus embodying and illustrating the same,

and in order to more completely explain the broad principle of theinvention we have in the accompanying drawings disclosed several formsand types of apparatus showing different; relative arrangements of theopening and closing lines between the trolley and the grab, but allillustrating the novel rule governing the operation of the invention.

Briefly describing such drawings, therefore, Figure 1 is a sideelevational view of a trolley, a grab suspended therefrom, and atrolleyhook, illustrating our invention in a simple form. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the trolley similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating adifferent relative arrangement of the opening and closing lines betweenthe tangent points on the trolley and grab, the same being the converseof the arrangement shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 7 and 8 are side elevationaland end views, respectively, of a trolley and trolley hook and theopening and closing lines passing thereover, the parts arranged tocooperate with a grab opening and closing in a plane transverse to thelongitudinal plane of the trolley; and Fig. 9 is a side elevationaldetail view of the trolley-hook and its cushioned connections to thetrolley.

Referring first to the simpler form of the invention illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2, 6 designates a portion of a track or way over whichtravels the trolley or carrier 7 by means of wheels 7 mounted on saidtrack. 8 is a shaft disposed transversely in and across the mainlongitudinal side members of the trolleyframe, on the outer overhangingends of which shaft are rotatably mounted a pair of sheaves 9, overwhich are trained the closing-lines 10 of the grab and a correspondingpair of sheaves 11, herein shown as of equal diameter to the sheaves 9,over which are trained the openinglines 12. 13 designates as an entiretythe grab or self-loading bucket, which is provided with a centralpivotal shaft 14 or its equivalent, adapted to enter the hookof thetrolley, on either side of which and a short distance therefrom pass theopening and closing lines. Mounted in the outer ends of a pair of arms15, themselves mounted centrally on the opposite ends of the centralshaft 14, are two pairs of guide-sheaves 16 and 17, engaged by theopening and closing lines 10 and 12, respectively, said guide-sheavesthus constituting or defining in this form of the invention the pointsof tangency on the grab-frame from which the latter is suspended whenits weight is borne by the opening and closing lines, respectively.Suspended from the center of a transverse shaft 18, mounted in andbetween the longitudinal side frame members of the trolley, is a hook,(designated as an entirety by 19.) This hook is held drawn to a positionslightly to one side of the vertical position which it would naturallyassume under the effect of its own weight by means of a pair of chains20, attached to the back side of the hook and to the lower ends of thelongitudinal side frame members of the trolley. The lower end of thehook has an inclined or beveled edge 19, which terminates in a convexcurve 19", extending up to and constituting the outer edge or face ofthe point 19" of the hook. The operation is as follows: Assuming theparts to be in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, in which theclosed grab hangs suspended by the closing-lines 10, the hook 19occupies the position shown in full lines. As the grab is raised thecentral shaft 14 thereof rises along a path indicated by the dotted linem 02, which, it will be observed, is to the right of the centralvertical line .2 z, tangent to the guiding and supporting sheaves 9 and11, coincident with which latter line lies the vertical weightsupportingclosing-line 10. As the shaft 14 in its upward movement reaches theinclined under edge of the hook it pushes the lower end of the latterrearwardly in an obvious manner to the position indicated by dottedlines until the shaft has traveled to a point just above the point 19 ofthe hook, after which the hook swings back by gravity to the full-lineposition, whereupon by slackening the closing-line 10 the grab isallowed to drop slightly, with its shaft 14 coming to rest in the seatof the hook, after which the trolley,'with the grab suspended therefrom,is drawn along the track to a position above the point of discharge. Theload having been discharged and the trolley, with the grab suspendedtherefrom, returned for another load, the operator thereupon applies thepower to the opening-lines 12, at the same time raising the grabslightly on the latter. The result of this is to cause the opening-linesunder the weight of the empty grab to assume a perpendicular positiontangent to their supporting-sheaves 11 and coincident with thetransverse plane in which falls the central vertical line 2 2. In doingthis the grab swings a slight distance inwardly of the overlying supportand transfers the central shaft 14 from a position in the path of theline (we on the right of the central line 22 2 to a position in the pathof a line g 1 on the left of the central vertical line .2 .2, which line7 1 lies sufliciently to one side of the point of the trolley-hook tocarry the shaft 14 entirely clear of the latter when the hook is in itsfull-line position, thus enabling the grab to be lowered withoutinterfence from the point of the hook. The grab having been lowered andthe power once more transferred to the closing-lines, the load isgathered, the grab raised, and the foregoing operation repeated.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, wherein we have illustrated a somewhatmodified and more developed form of the invention, characterized,however, by the same relative arrangement of opening and closing linesand their points of tangency to the trolley and grab as in Figs. 1 and2, 21 designates the trolleyframe equipped with the supporting-wheels21, traveling on the tracks 22, Figs. 4 and 5, the trolley beingcontrolled in its travel by means of controlling-cables 23 and 24,carried around a brake-equipped controlling-drum (not shown) and passingaround pulleys 25 and Y26, respectively, suitably mounted on transverseshafts 27 and 28 at opposite ends of the frame. 29 designates theguide-sheaves carrying the closing-lines 30, and 31 designates similarguide-sheaves carrying the openinglines 32, both pairs of sheaves beingof equal diameter and rotatably mounted side by side on the oppositeends of a transverse shaft 33,

hook-point 40".

mounted in and between the main longitudinal side frame members of thetrolley. 34 designates another shaft mounted in and between the sideframe members of the trolley slightly in advance of the shaft 33, onwhich shaft 34 are hung a pair of U-shaped suspension-rods 35, connectedat their upper ends by a pair of transverse plates 36 and 37, be-

tween which are interposed a plurality of' the hookthus formedv aresubstantially similar in contour to the hook 19, already de.

scribed in connection with Fig. 1, having the inclined lower edge 40terminating in the rounding or convexed outer edge 40 of the Fast on theshaft 39 just inside the twin hook members 40 are a pair of dependingarms 43, which, as shown in Fig. 5, extend down below the lower edge ofthe brace-plate 41 and are rigidly united at or near their lower endsbya tie-bolt44,and these arms are held rigid by means of a pair ofparallel back struts 45, at their inner or lower ends mounted on thetie-bolt 44 and at their outer or upper ends secured to a transversemember 46 of the trolley-frame. The operation of this form oftheinvention is similar to that already described, with the exception ofthe fact that the springs 38 provide a desirable cushioning eifect inconnection with the seating of the central shaft of the grab in the hookand of the further fact that the presence of the rigid arms 43 justinside the arms of the hooks prevents an undue rearward oscillation orswing of the grab, particularly when arrested after its descent alongthe track, such asmight otherwise cause the grab to strike theoverhanging end of the track-frame were the grab permitted to swing fromthe shaft 34 as a center of oscillation. While the hook members 40 arefree to yield rearwardly sufficiently to permit the seating of the shaft14 in the manner described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, the rigidarms 43 extending to a point below the shaft 14 when the latter isseated in the hook members constitutes a back-stop against rearwardswing of the said shaft, and consequently makes the shaft 14, ratherthan the shaft 34, the center of whatever oscillation the grab mayundergo.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings we have illustrated a modification of theconstruction last described in connection with Figs. .3 to 5, whereinthe sections of the grab-operating cables between the guiding-sheaves onthe trolley and their points of tangency on the grab are outwardlydivergent from a common vertical plane in an upward direction instead ofin a downward direction, this effect being produced by arranging theguiding-sheaves 47 and 48, carrying the opening and closing cables 49and 50, respectively, so that the points of tangency of the cablesthereon do not lie in the same transverse plane, as in the forms of theinvention thus far described, but lie in different transverse planes,while the points of tangency of said cables 'on the grab do lie in thesame transverse vertical plane, whereas in the forms of the inventionpreviously described they occupied different transverse planes, thecables in Fig. 6 being shown as passed through vertical slots oropenings 51 in the pivotal shaft 14 of the. grab. Of course thelast-described relative disposition of the cables between the trolleyand the grab might be secured by training the cables overtrolley-sheaves concentrically mounted, but of different diameters, andpassing the cables over points of tangency on the grab other thanthrough slots in the pivotal shaft so long as thesepoints of tangencylay in the same or substantially the same transverse plane.

In the operation of the mechanism when arranged as last described it isobvious that a transfer of the weight of the grab, whether loaded orempty, from either of the cables 49 and 50 to the other effects the samebodily lateral movement of the grab in a direction which is parallel orcoincident with the plane of the hook already described by reason of achange in the point of suspension of the grab on the trolley, whereas inthe previous described construction this same movement of the grabresulted from a change in the point on the grabitself, through which itsgravity effect was resisted by the cable supporting it. It is evidentthat the same principle of operation underlies both arrangements.

. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 illustrate an application of our invention to anarrangement of mechanism wherein the grab is designed to open and closein a plane transverse to rather than parallel with the plane of thetrolley and its track. In this arrangement 52 and 53 designate theguide-sheaves at the rear end of the trolley supporting the opening andclosing lines 54 and 55, respectively, on one side of the grab, while 52and 53 designate companion sheaves at the forward end of the trolleysimilarly supporting the opening and closing lines 54 and 55 on theopposite side of the grab,. it being understood that the pivotal axis ofthe grab lies parallel with rather than transversely of the trolley. 56and 57 designate pulleys over which are trained the trolley-controllingcables 58 and 59, respectively. 60 designates a hook of the general formand contour indicated in the constructions hereinbefore described, buthung so as to lie in a plane transverse to the plane of the trolley, asclearly shown in Fig. 7. Said hook is conveniently pivoted on a bolt 61,disposed across and between the side members of a spring-box 62, itselfpivotally supported upon a rod or bolt 63, supported in and between apair of depending plates or brackets 6 1, hung from opposite sides ofthe trolley, whereby the hook 60 is permitted to oscillate bothlongitudinally and transversely of the overhead trolley. To cushion andlimit the swing of the hook in the direction of its own plane, tensilesprings may be interposed between the back of the hook and the bracketmembers in which it is hung, it being understood that the hook maintainsits normal operative position by gravity, as in the constructionspreviously described.

In the last-described arrangement it willbe seen from the relativepositions occupied by the opening and closing cables on each side of thegrab, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, that the operation of the grabrelatively to the hook in seating and unseating itself therein will bethe same as that last described in connection with Fig. 6, since byreason of the lateral separation of the guide-sheaves on the trolleywhich support the opening and closing cables, respectively, the pointsof tangency of said opening and closing cables on each side of the grablie in two separated vertical planes which are at right angles to thevertical plane of the hook 60 and not in a single vertical plane atright angles to the plane of the hook 60, whereby a transfer of theweight from one cable to the other creates the described bodily shiftingmovement of the grab in a direction coincident or parallel with theplane of the hook, thereby carrying the hook-engaging shaft into and outof its seat in the hook.

From the foregoing it will be seen that our present invention providesan extremely simple and automatic means for connecting and disconnectingthe grab under and from its supporting and carrying trolley. No hooks orbails are required on the grab itself, as the pivotal'shaft 1 itself mayconstitute the direct hook-engaging element of the grab, and this shaftitself under the action of the opening and closing lines directlycooperates with the hook in such a manner as to engage and be seated inthe latter on the rise of the grab and unseat and disengage itselftherefrom on the subsequent lowering of the grab. It will also beobserved that this peculiar cooperation of the shaft and the hookresults from the practice of suspending the grab by the opening andclosing lines, which are not parallel, but have a slight relativeinclination between the trolley and the grab in the direction ofmovement of the grab in seating and unseating itself in the hook,thereby causing a slight lateral or edgewise bodily travel of the grabto and fro each time the power is transferred between the opening andclosing lines.

We claim- 4 1. The combination with a trolley and a grab suspended fromsaid trolley by opening and closing lines, of a hook suspended from saidtrolley and adapted to engage and disengage an element of the grab byreason of the lateral movement imparted to the grab when the power istransferred from the opening to the closing lines and vice versa,respectively,- substantially as described.

2. The combination with a trolley and a grab suspended from said trolleyby opening and closing lines, of a pivoted, rearwardly-yieldable hooksuspended from said trolley and adapted to engage and disengage anelement of the grab by reason of the lateral movement imparted to thegrab when the power is transferred from the opening to the closing linesand vice versa, respectively, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a trolley and guidesheaves carried thereby, of agrab having a central shaft suspended from said sheaves on the trolleyby opening and closing lines, and a grab-supporting hook suspended fromsaid trolley, the said sheaves, shaft and hook being so positioned thatthe shaft is engaged in and disengaged from the hook by reason oflateral movement imparted to the grab and its shaft when the power istransferred from the opening to the closing lines and vice versa,respectively, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a trolley and guidesheaves carried thereby, of agrab having a central shaft suspended from said sheaves on the trolleyby opening and closing lines, and a cushioned, rearwardly-yieldable grabsupporting hook pivotally suspended from said trolley, the said sheaves,shaft and hook being so positioned that the shaft is engaged in anddisengaged from the hook by reason of lateral movement imparted to thegrab and its shaft when the power is transferred from the opening to theclosing lines and vice versa, respectively, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a trolley and a grabsupporting hook suspendedtherefrom, of a grab having opening and closing lines carried over anddepending from said trolley, said lines being so disposed between theirpoints of tangency on the trolley and grab,respectively, as to lie at aninclination to each other in the direction of movement of the grab inengaging and disengaging the hook, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a trolley,and a grab having opening and closinglines carried by said trolley and supporting said grab at points onopposite sides of its transverse central vertical plane, of a hooksuspended from said trolley and adapted to engage and disengage anelement of the grab lying between said opening and closing lines byreason of the bodily lateral movement imparted to said element when thepower is transferred from the opening to the closing lines and viceversa, respectively, substantially as described.

IIO

'7. The combination with a trolley, and a grab havinga central pivotalshaft, of opening and closing lines carried by said trolley andsupporting said grab at points on opposite sides of said central shaft,and a hook suspended from said trolley and adapted to engage anddisengage saidlshaft by reason of the bodily lateral movement impartedto the grab and its shaft when the power is transferred from the openingto the closing lines and vice versa, respectively, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination with a trolley, and a grab having a central pivotalshaft and guidesheaves located adjacent to and on opposite sides of saidshaft, of opening and closing lines carried by and suspended from saidtrolley at points thereon in the same transverse vertical plane, saidopening and closing lines engaging said oppositely disposed guidesheaveson the grab, respectively, and a hook suspended from said trolley, saidhook having an inclined lower edge lying across the path of said shaftin its upward movement, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a trolley, and a grab having a central pivotalshaft and guidesheaves located adjacent to and on opposite sides of saidshaft, of opening and closing lines carried by and suspended from saidtrolley at points thereon in the same transverse vertical plane, saidopening and closing lines engaging said oppositely disposed guidesheaveson the grab, respectively, and a yieldably-suspended hook depending fromsaid trolley, said hook having an inclined lower edge lying across thepath of said shaft in its upward movement, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a trolley, and a grab having a hook-engagingmemberand guide-sheaves located adjacent to and on opposite sides ofsaid hook-engaging member, of opening and closing lines carried by andsuspended from said trolley at points thereon in the same transversevertical plane, said opening and closing lines engaging saidoppositelydisposed guide-sheaves on the grab, respectively, arearwardly-yieldable hook pivotally suspended from said trolley, saidhook having an inclined lower edge lying across the path of saidhook-engaging member in its upward movement, and arigid member disposedalongside of said hook and serving to engage and check rearward movementof said hookengaging member when seated in the hook, substantially asdescribed.

' FRANK K. HOOVER.

ARTHUR J. MASON. Witnesses:

E. K. SooTT, J. O. STRENG.

